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A Sumerian document dating to 3500 BCE is the first written confirmation we have of the wheel. Remnants indicate the invention started with a need for a pottery wheel - and once the concept was born it evolved into use for transportation. The oldest wheel found in archeological excavations was discovered in what was Sumer and is believed to be over 5,500 years old. A lot of Sumerian art shows our earliest images of wheeled vehicles, from simple rollers to carts and chariots with axles. Archeologists and historians date the original time frame for the invention between 10,000 and 8000 BCE - in what we call the "Pre-Pottery Neolithic A" period in the Levantine and upper Mesopotamian region (which includes Sumer) of the Fertile Crescent. Copper and tin Most Mediterranean civilizations had begun using Bronze for tools and weapons by 2500 B.C., replacing the previous 'copper only' period, which lasted approximately 1,000 years. Nebuchadnezzar These were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. He built them for his wife Amytis to remind her of her homeland in Media. The prophet Daniel was called in to interpret his dream about a huge idol with clay feet. (Daniel 2:33-45) The word "Mesopotamia", derived from ancient Greek, means "land between two rivers". The land of fertile soil is not the correct meaning, but it applies, as Mesopotamia had very fertile soil. Babylon was a kingdom within Mesopotamia. Those two rivers are the Euphrates and Tigris. At one time they emptied into the Persian Gulf separately. That area all silted in and the rivers become what is now known as the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, which empties into the Persian Gulf. 3500 B.C. The Sumerians settled themselves in Sumer and developed new agricultural methods, using innovative systems of irrigation, the wheel, the plough and creating the cuneiform script. They organized themselves politically under the form of city-states: Ur, Uruk, Nippur, Lagas, Umma, Larsa. Cuneiform One of the earliest forms of writing invented by the Sumer. It uses wedge shaped marks to make picture symbols on clay tablets. Different Classes of People With people moving to towns and governments being formed, society was dividing into different classes of people for perhaps the first time. At the top of society was the king and his family. The priests were considered near the top as well. The rest of the upper class was made up of the wealthy such as high level administrators and scribes. Below the upper class was a small middle class made up of craftsman, merchants, and civil servants. They could make a decent living and could work hard to try and move up in class. The lower class was made up of laborers and farmers. These people lived a harder life, but could still work their way up with hard work. At the bottom were the slaves. Slaves were owned by the king or bought and sold among the upper class. Slaves were usually people who were captured in battle. What type of homes did they live in? Most people lived in mud brick homes. They were rectangular in shape and had two to three levels. The roofs were flat and people would often sleep on the roofs during the hot summers. The mud brick worked as a good insulator and helped to keep the homes a bit cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Clothing. Clothing was typically made from sheepskin or wool. The men wore kilt-like skirts and the women wore longer dresses. They enjoyed wearing jewelry, especially rings. The women braided their long hair, while the men had long hair and beards. Both men and women wore makeup. Mesopotamian Religion did not believe in the after-life. They believed that all good and bad people go under-ground as ghosts and eat dirt. They're religion also believed that they were servants of god. If you were to ask a person today why they are here they would say because god loves me. Back in Mesopotamia they would say to be a servant of the gods. Mesopotamia invented the wheel, plow, irrigation systems and the sailboat! Priests would read the livers of chickens or lambs to see what the gods wanted for sacrifices. Priests controlled the irrigation systems and also had more power than the king and queen! Mesopotamia was made up of individual City-states controlled by different powers. They would eventually attack each other and end up under 1 ruler. The people would retaliate and go back to being city-states. This process was repeated many times. The Mesopotamian king ordered the construction of the Hanging Gardens for his wife because she grew up in the mountains and was homesick! Mesopotamia was made up of individual City-states controlled by different powers. They would eventually attack each other and end up under 1 ruler. The people would retaliate and go back to being city-states. This process was repeated many times. In the Mesopotamian religion there are 4 main gods of Earth, Water, Air and the Heavens. And there were 3,000 lesser gods and each represented an everyday item like a pickaxe. If you were mining and the pickaxe slipped and fell on your foot, the god of the pickaxe hated you! The Sumerians developed the first form of writing. As Sumerian towns grew into cities, the people needed a way to keep track of business transactions, ownership rights, and government records. Around 3300 BC the Sumerians began to use picture symbols marked into clay tablets to keep their records. Sumerian Writing by Unknown Symbols were made with wedge shaped marks on clay tablets Clay Tablets Writing was inscribed on clay tablets. Scribes would take a stylus (a stick made from a reed) and press the lines and symbols into soft, moist clay. Once they were done, they would let the clay harden and they had a permanent record. Cuneiform, the initial writing of the Sumerians utilized simple pictures or pictograms. For example, a drawing of a person's head, meant the word "head". Over time, however, the writing of the Sumerians further developed to include sounds and meanings. Scribes would use the stylus to make wedge shaped marks in the clay. This type of writing is called cuneiform writing, which means "wedgeshaped". Translating Mesopotamian writing is difficult for archeologists today. This is because there were over 700 different symbols and the symbols' meaning and shapes could change between different cities and regions. The symbols often changed over time as well. However, many Sumerian tablets have been deciphered. This is how we know so much about Mesopotamian culture, government, and history. Literature while most of the tablets discovered have been government and financial records, some of the writings are literature. This literature includes mythology of the Mesopotamian gods, tales of their heroes, poetry, and songs. Some of the writings include sayings of wisdom. The most famous and epic of all the Mesopotamian literature is the story Gilgamesh. Go here to learn more about the Epic Tale of Gilgamesh. Interesting Facts about Sumerian Writing People signed items with personal seals made of stone, metal, or wood. Later Mesopotamian civilizations such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians used Sumerian writing. Cuneiform writing was around for thousands of years until it was replaced by the Phoenician alphabet near the end of the neoAssyrian Empire. Hieroglyphics was invented in Ancient Egypt about the same time as cuneiform in Mesopotamia, but scientists believe that cuneiform came first. As far as archeologists can tell, the Sumerian language is not related to any other language on Earth. Cuneiform refers to the way a language is written, not necessarily a particular language. It was initially used in Mesopotamia to write Sumerian, but later was used for Akkadian which the Sumerians, the Akkadians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians all spoke. Akkadian - A language spoken by most of Mesopotamia. It replaced Sumerian as the primary language. Akkadian Empire - The Akkadian Empire was the world's first empire. It formed when Sargon the Great conquered many of the Sumerian city-states and united them under one leader. Aqueduct - A man-made channel built to carry water from one location to another. Ashur or Assur - Assur was the original capital city of the Assyrian Empire. It was also the name of the primary god in the Assyrian religion. Assyrian Empire - An empire known for their fierce warriors, the Assyrian Empire rose and fell several times to rule over much of Mesopotamia and the Middle East. Babylonian Empire - The Babylonian Empire ruled much of Mesopotamia from the city of Babylon. The empire rose and fell over the course of ancient history. Chariot - The chariot was a two wheeled vehicle pulled by horses. It was typically used for warfare and was one of the strengths of the Assyrian army. City-state - A city-state is an independently governed region that is centered on a single powerful city. The civilization of the Sumer was governed by many independent city-states. Civilization - A civilization is an advanced state of human society. Typically a civilization is marked by advanced government, agriculture, science, and culture. Code of Hammurabi - A written code of law from 1772 BC. It was put in place by Babylonian King Hammurabi. It is one of the oldest detailed recordings of a code of law in world history. Cuneiform - One of the earliest forms of writing invented by the Sumer. It uses wedge shaped marks to make picture symbols on clay tablets. Cylinder seal - An engraved stone cylinder used to create a seal or signature on clay tablets. Dynasty - When one family rules a kingdom or empire for a period of time, passing down the reign to the next generation. Empire - A large number of states or regions that are ruled by a single leader called the emperor or empress. Fertile Crescent - A large area of land in the Middle East that is shaped like a crescent on a map. It runs from the Persian Gulf, along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, over to the Mediterranean Sea, and down the Nile River Valley of Egypt. Gilgamesh - A Sumerian King of the city-state of Uruk. He later became known in mythology as a demigod with superhuman strength. Irrigation - Watering crops through man-made efforts such as ditches and canals. Lyre - A stringed instrument shaped like a small harp. Marduk - The primary god of the Babylonians. Mesopotamia - A term used to describe the lands between and near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It is mostly located in present day Iraq and Syria. Mina - A unit of weight equal to 60 shekels or around 1.25 pounds. Nebuchadnezzar - A famous king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt much of the city including the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Persian Empire - The last major empire of Ancient Mesopotamia, the Persian Empire conquered much of the Middle East. Scribe - A person trained in writing cuneiform script. They were well-respected in Mesopotamian society. Shekel - A standard unit of weight first used in Mesopotamia. Siege weapons - Weapons used to capture cities and take down walls. The Assyrians were experts at using siege weapons such as battering rams and siege towers. Stylus - A writing tool made from a reed that scribes used to make wedge shaped symbols on clay tablets. Sumer - The first human civilization in world history, the Sumer began to form towns in 5000 BC. Ziggurats - Large temples usually located at the center of a Mesopotamian city. Ziggurats looked like pyramids with a flat top. Zoroastrianism - The main religion of the Persian Empire, it followed the teachings of Zoroaster.